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Moonstone!
Australian Gemstone Localities [Published 1933] - (Digitised 1982)
- Thread starter joe
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It's a comprehensive list, but a bit vague and also incorrect with some locations.
The listing for sapphire in Qld shows Anakie as a location and even though the central Qld gemfields are known as the Anakie fields, there is no documented evidence that sapphires were ever found at Anakie. It got the name Anakie gemfields from the geological reference of the area known as the Anakie Metamorphics and also because it was the stepping off point for those arriving by rail back in the early days, which would have been practically everybody.
It also lists Pot and Kettle Creek, no such place here. There is a Boot & Kettle Creek north of Rubyvale that may have produced sapphires at one time, but there is no sign of any wash or old diggings in the area. The listing for Glendariwell & Keilambete are incorrect as no known deposits exist or have existed there.
As is the case with a lot of early reference lists, place names change or no longer exist.
Interesting to note that Sapphire is not listed, nor is Withersfield where sapphire was first discovered here in 1872.
The listing for sapphire in Qld shows Anakie as a location and even though the central Qld gemfields are known as the Anakie fields, there is no documented evidence that sapphires were ever found at Anakie. It got the name Anakie gemfields from the geological reference of the area known as the Anakie Metamorphics and also because it was the stepping off point for those arriving by rail back in the early days, which would have been practically everybody.
It also lists Pot and Kettle Creek, no such place here. There is a Boot & Kettle Creek north of Rubyvale that may have produced sapphires at one time, but there is no sign of any wash or old diggings in the area. The listing for Glendariwell & Keilambete are incorrect as no known deposits exist or have existed there.
As is the case with a lot of early reference lists, place names change or no longer exist.
Interesting to note that Sapphire is not listed, nor is Withersfield where sapphire was first discovered here in 1872.
Here is a little sapphire I found in a place that I never imagined I would find sapphire.... but it turns out that it is on the list. Thats all I can say.
Some of these lesser known places may be worth a look, especially if you want to avoid the crowds.
Some of these lesser known places may be worth a look, especially if you want to avoid the crowds.
Nice rock. What's the weight of it ?
Martyz said:
Nice stone, Marty.
I'm not saying that the entire list is wrong, but for me to pick out discrepancies on just one mineral in my own area throws doubt on the accuracy of the list. I've been mining sapphires here in Central Qld for the past 30 years and during that time I have built up a good knowledge of locations that produce stone and those that don't.
To use the list as a guide may be helpful to some, but I think it will prove to be disappointing to most and also costly when one considers the expense of travel these days to get to an area that may or may not promise results. I often hear people comment that spending weeks on the gemfields was a complete waste of time and money for very little reward and I agree with them when it is obvious that they came here believing that everyone who digs a hole will walk away with something special. It doesn't work that way. Every year I see people digging in places that I know are completely barren of sapphire bearing wash and yet when I extend a helping hand to point them in the right direction, a lot don't want to know about it.
Understood snafu. I am not knowledgeable in this field, just relating my own experience. I thought it was just a freak find until I saw the region on this list.
Im still unsure as to whether this list is strictly a reference to known finds or if the geology of the areas listed could be seen as a precursor to the presence of certain minerals.
Im still unsure as to whether this list is strictly a reference to known finds or if the geology of the areas listed could be seen as a precursor to the presence of certain minerals.
can't agree with you more snafu,there's a bloody lot of queensland between stone's,i have a scratch around the willow's,claim owner i know there scratched for about 10 months underground without finding a stone ,showed me how long the drive went before finding some keen digger ,but when it's your income you just keep going,just goe's to show that the fellows in the know struggle sometimes, aim low no 8.( that way and have fun :beer:
Martyz said:
Considering the time that the list was published, 1933, the information relating to a lot of the not so popular locations was most likely gathered by word of mouth from prospectors who had moved through certain areas. The information may have passed through many prospectors before finding it's way to a published list and as we know, prospectors are often like fishermen - born honest, but they get over it.
It works on 'reported finds'..... Most Location books work like that... Then, it's up to you to do your Research on your chosen areas....
LW....
LW....
Yes, LW, the list would have been compiled based on 'reported finds' and therein lies the inaccuracies that came with those reports.
As I stated earlier, the listing for sapphire at Glendarriwell is totally incorrect. Like practically all areas further east of the Drummond Ranges, the overburden of soil would have made any productive wash inaccessible to the early prospectors. The lay of the land at Glendarriwell is identical to Subeira which lies not too far to the east of Sapphire, more or less flat plains with very deep soil deposits. Back in 1990, I spent some time at Subeira with a mate on the Great Northern Mining drill rig and we didn't strike wash until the 250' level, far too deep for hand mining back in the early days and now. Even though the test holes produced sapphires at that level, the returns were dismal to say the least.
Today, we have the means to research areas, but back in the 1930's it wasn't such an easy task and the same could be said about right up until the advent of computers and the internet.
As I stated earlier, the listing for sapphire at Glendarriwell is totally incorrect. Like practically all areas further east of the Drummond Ranges, the overburden of soil would have made any productive wash inaccessible to the early prospectors. The lay of the land at Glendarriwell is identical to Subeira which lies not too far to the east of Sapphire, more or less flat plains with very deep soil deposits. Back in 1990, I spent some time at Subeira with a mate on the Great Northern Mining drill rig and we didn't strike wash until the 250' level, far too deep for hand mining back in the early days and now. Even though the test holes produced sapphires at that level, the returns were dismal to say the least.
Today, we have the means to research areas, but back in the 1930's it wasn't such an easy task and the same could be said about right up until the advent of computers and the internet.
